March 6
1800s *1884 - High winds tear off the roof of the Polo Grounds’ grandstands. 1900s *1906 - Rookie owner Charles W. Murphy puts the last pieces of a Chicago Cubs dynasty in place, trading rookie infielder Hans Lobert and pitcher Jake Weimer to the Cincinnati Reds for third baseman Harry Steinfeldt. Not a heavy hitter, Steinfeldt completes the Frank Chance-Johnny Evers-Joe Tinker infield with more than adequate defense. *1907 - Philadelphia Phillies owner A.J. Reach and John Rogers are acquitted of damages resulting from the 1903 National League Park disaster. A balcony had collapsed at Broad Street and Lehigh Avenue ballpark killing 12 and leaving 232 fans injured. 1910s *1916 - The National League meeting of February 1916 announced that it had come to the league's attention that "some of the diamonds" didn't measure properly. On this day, John Heydler's office circulates to clubs the news of the Chicago Cubs pitching distance, and orders an engineer's certification. 1920s *1922 - Babe Ruth signs with the New York Yankees a three-year contract at $52,000 a year. The next-highest-paid Yankees player is Frank (Home Run) Baker, at $16,000. *1923 - The St. Louis Cardinals announce that their players will wear numerals on their uniforms. The digits will be assigned according to the batting order. 1930s 1940s *1940 - Future Hall of Fame Willie Stargell is born in Earlsboro, Oklahoma. Stargell will make his debut in 1962 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He will hit 475 home runs during a 21-year ML career, helping the Pirates to World Championships in 1971 and 1979. *1945 - Former Philadelphia Athletics catcher Harry O’Neill is killed in combat during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The 27-year-old O’Neill becomes the second major leaguer to lose his life in the war. Elmer Gedeon, a onetime outfielder with the Washington Senators, was killed in 1944. *1948 - The Brooklyn Dodgers send Eddie Stanky to the Boston Braves for Bama Rowell and $60,000. Brooklyn also buy heavy-hitting first baseman Dolph Camilli from the Philadelphia Phillies for $45,000. 1950s 1960s *1962 - St. Louis voters approve a bond issue that will fund the improvements necessary to build a new downtown stadium for the Cardinals. 1970s *1973 - Larry Hisle of the Minnesota Twins becomes the first designated hitter in major league history during an exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hisle makes the new American League rule look good by collecting two home runs and seven runs batted in. 1980s *1980 - Milwaukee Brewers manager George Bamberger suffers a heart attack at the team’s spring training camp in Sun City, Arizona. Bamberger will undergo quintuple bypass surgery, and is replaced on an interim basis by one of the team’s coaches, Buck Rodgers. *1985 - Enos Slaughter and Arky Vaughan are elected to the Hall of Fame. Slaughter, known for his hustling style of play, gained fame for his celebrated “Mad Dash” home during the 1946 World Series. Vaughan batted .318 over a 14-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Dodgers. *1987 - Prized free agent Andre Dawson signs a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs worth $650,000. A former Montreal Expos star, Dawson had previously offered to sign a “blank check” contract with Chicago. 1990s 2000s *2001 - Former Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star second baseman Bill Mazeroski and Negro Leagues pitching great Hilton Smith are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. Mazeroski, an eight-time Gold Glove Award winner, hit one of the most memorable home runs ever-a ninth-inning blast in Game Seven of the 1960 World Series. *2005 - Suzyn Waldman becomes the first woman to be a full-time color commentator in major league history, making her debut with John Sterling on WCBS-AM 880, the radio flagship of the New York Yankees. The former radio-talk host on WFAN, the first all-sports radio station in United States, was also the first female to broadcast on a nationally baseball telecast as well as the first to provide local TV (Yankees) major league play-by-play. *2006 - Hall of Fame outfielder Kirby Puckett dies in Scottsdale, Arizona, at age 45, a day after suffering a massive stroke. Puckett, who led the Minnesota Twins to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991, hit .318 with 207 home runs and 1085 RBI over 12 seasons. A 10-time All-Star and six-time Gold Glove winner, Puckett ended his career abruptly due to irreversible retina damage in his right eye. Births *1886 - Bill Sweeney, infielder (b. 1886) *1900 - Lefty Grove, Hall of Fame pitcher (d. 1975) *1915 - Bob Swift, catcher (d. 1966) *1915 - Pete Gray, outfielder (d. 2002) *1933 - Ted Abernathy, pitcher (d. 2004) *1939 - Cookie Rojas, All-Star player and manager *1940 - Willie Stargell, Hall of Fame OF/IF (d. 2001) *1966 - Anthony Telford, pitcher *1973 - Terry Adams, pitcher *1975 - Edgar Ramos, pitcher *1977 - Marcus Thames, outfielder *1979 - Clint Barmes, infielder Deaths *1943 - Jimmy Collins, Hall of Fame player and manager (b. 1870) *1965 - Jimmy Austin, infielder (b. 1879) *1965 - Wally Schang, catcher (b. 1889) *1988 - Lou Legett, catcher (b. 1901) *1990 - Joe Sewell, Hall of Fame infielder (b. 1898) *1993 - George Stumpf, outfielder (b. 1910) *1998 - Frank Barrett, pitcher (b. 1913) *2005 - Danny Gardella, outfielder (b. 1920) *2006 - Kirby Puckett, Hall of Fame outfielder (b. 1960)